Identifikasi Tungau (Mites) pada Tikus Liar di Area Pasar Tradisional Simpang Limun Medan

Abstract

Background: There are various sources of human disease, one of which is infectious diseases transmitted by animals to humans, called zoonoses. Rats carry various ectoparasites that act as one of the biological vectors in the transmission of zoonoses. Mites are ectoparasites of rats that cause various diseases such as murine typhus, tularemia, rat mite dermatitis, and others. Objective: Identifying species of wild rats in the study area based on their morphological structure, presentation of mite-infected rats, and identifying mites in wild rats in Medan's Simpang Limun traditional market area. Method: This cross sectional study used a purposive sampling technique. Primary data were collected in the Simpang Limun Traditional Market Area of Medan, namely in the first area, Jalan M. Nawi Harahap, and the second area, Jalan Kemiri I. Every afternoon, for 12 days, 10 baited rat traps were deployed in each area. The caught rats were anesthetized, identified, and examined for mites by combing. Mites were then identified under a microscope. Results: Of a total 65 wild rat samples, 50.8% were found in the first area and 49.2% in the second area. The species found were dominated by Rattus tanezumi (92.3%), followed by Rattus norvegicus (7.7%). The percentage of wild rats infected with mites was 81.5%. The mite species identified were Laelaps echidninus (84.5%) and Laelaps nuttalli (15.5%). Conclusion: The most common wild rat species was Rattus tanezumi and the majority of mite species identified were Laelaps echidninus. From all samples 81.5% of rats were infected with mites in Medan's Simpang Limun Traditional Market Area.